The inaugural Orchid Awards press conference was held on July 12 in Beijing. The event was attended by Lu Cairong, Deputy Director of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and Vice Chair of the Orchid Awards Jury Committee; Fan Di'an, Chairman of the China Artists Association and Vice Chair of the Orchid Awards Jury Committee; and Chen Shi, Secretary-General of the Orchid Awards Secretariat and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of CIPG. The nominees for the first Orchid Awards was officially announced, and the Orchid Awards logo was unveiled. The event also included a Q&A session with Chinese and international journalists. The press conference was hosted by Xin Feng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Orchid Awards Secretariat and Director of CIPG’s Comprehensive Business Department.

On behalf of the organizing body, CIPG, Lu Cairong announced the shortlist of 30 nominees for the inaugural Orchid Awards (listed by award category and in alphabetical order by surname):

“Lifetime Honor Award” Nominees (3):

• Rashid Alimov (Tajikistan)
• Ye Jiaying (Canada)
• Joseph Polisi (United States)

“Outstanding Achievement Award” Nominees (9):

• Blanca Berlan (Mexico)
• Malcolm Clarke (United Kingdom)
• David Ferguson (United Kingdom)
• Pinit Jarusombat (Thailand)
• Giulia Lippi (Italy)
• Thomas Rabe (Germany)
• Essam Sharaf (Egypt)
• Maxime Vivas (France)
• Frances Wood (United Kingdom)
• 
  

• “Friendship Ambassador Award” Nominees (18):

  • Martin Azzopardi (Malta)
  • Fatima Bastaki (United Arab Emirates)
  • Robert Lawrence Kuhn (United States)
  • William Brown (United States)
  • Trinh Thi Tuyet Lan (Vietnam)
  • Dino Patti Djalal (Indonesia)
  • Bill Gammell (Australia)
  • Evgeny Fokichev (Russia)
  • Zafar Uddin Muhammad (Pakistan)
  • Damian Lattanzi (United States)
  • Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva (Kyrgyzstan)
  • Luiz Antonio Paulino (Brazil)
  • Reninko (Spain)
  • Malgorzata Cwiek (Poland)
  • Ryo Takeuchi (Japan)
  • Roland (Greece)
  • Yang Yongjie (France)
  • Y-Club Research Association (Israel)

  During the press conference, when asked about the difference between the Orchid Awards and similar international awards like the China Government Friendship Award and the Special Book Award of China, Lu Cairong emphasized that the Orchid Awards encompass the broad "cultural" field, including but not limited to literature, art, film and television, publishing, translation, education, science and technology, health, media, cultural heritage, digital culture, and cultural exchange activities. The Orchid Awards honor foreign individuals or institutions worldwide that are committed to promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world. The awards align with the Global Civilization Initiative's principles, making them more oriented toward public, international, and contemporary contexts.